From the Left

The left is focused on healthcare and accuses the GOP of using the immigrant caravan as a distraction.

From the Right

The right believes a “blue wave" is unlikely, instead expecting a close election. They attribute recent improvements in GOP prospects to the Democrats’ move to the left.

“Dozens of Republican office holders and candidates this election cycle have abandoned the GOP’s long-standing campaign promise to repeal the ACA. Some who once opposed Medicaid expansion, like Ohio Republican gubernatorial hopeful Mike DeWine, have changed their position. Others... have promised in campaign speeches to defend the ACA’s popular protections for people with pre-existing conditions...

“The modern conservative policy agenda, which centers on cutting taxes and tearing up the social safety net, is consistently unpopular. By large margins, voters want to raise, not lower, taxes on corporations and the wealthy. They overwhelmingly oppose cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Even self-identified Republicans favor preventing insurers from discriminating against people with pre-existing medical conditions."

New York Times

“Strong majorities [also] consistently disapprove of the president’s handling of immigration... Trump’s strategy of only appealing to his hardest-core supporters and not making any effort to expand his coalition is a dangerous strategy, since his base remains a small share of the electorate. The president’s decision to go all in on immigration in the last week of the midterms will provide a crucial test of whether the base is indeed insufficient—or whether he once more knows something the political class doesn’t."

"The scare tactics might explain why Republican voters are far more preoccupied with security when they head to the polling booth compared to independents and Democrats. Their candidates want them very, very afraid.”

From the Right

The right believes a “blue wave" is unlikely, instead expecting a close election. They attribute recent improvements in GOP prospects to the Democrats’ move to the left.

“Thus far, in a record turnout, Republican voters hold the edge by a slim two-point margin in ballots already cast in the midterms… [this] cuts against the expectation of an oversized Democratic turnout that led to the ‘blue wave’ predictions for most of this cycle… Pollsters largely missed the mark on turnout models in 2016, and it’s very possible they’ve failed to learn their lesson in time for this election."

Hot Air

“If Republican turnout is up just a couple of points higher than expected, the GOP could win all six [close Senate races]. The reverse is true as well if Democratic turnout is a couple of points higher than expected... The practical implications of these small shifts are enormous. A Republican sweep of the competitive races would give them a 56-44 majority in the Senate. A Democratic sweep would lead to a 50-50 Senate."

Townhall

It’s worth noting that in many races, “Democrats have run candidates with conservative credentials... For all the talk of the ‘year of the woman,’ it is equally the year of the Democratic ‘veteran.’ In battleground after battleground district, Democrats recruited former service members as their candidates... a vote to rebuke President Trump’s inflammatory politics isn’t the same as an embrace of a progressive agenda or its candidates. The Democrats’ own recent history and campaign strategy prove it."

Wall Street Journal

“Democrats... fell into every cultural trap that Trump set for them, seemingly determined to prove his point that they are the party of hard-left identity politics and hatred for the ‘deplorables’... No doubt many Americans wish Trump would tone down some of his rhetoric, particularly in the aftermath of Pittsburgh. I’m one of them. But Trump’s Twitter account isn’t on the ballot Tuesday."

New York Post

“The Democrats have left themselves precious little middle ground on important issues, which they need if they want Republicans and independents to shift from their previous voting stances. Who wants to join a party when you’re not invited? The only driver of change seems to be that Democrats want a do-over of the 2016 election.“

The American Conservative

Democrats should “talk sincerely about jobs, job creation, better trade deals, and root for the country and you can see how [white working class voters] can flip. They’re swing voters. They voted for Bush. They voted for Obama. And they voted for Trump in 2016. Step away from the political correctness/social justice warrior ethos, and you could give the GOP heartburn in future elections."

Townhall

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